The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared online at the Children's' Court on Monday, applying for bail after spending eight days in a juvenile detention facility.

The court was told the child was already on multiple counts of bail for alleged shop thefts, criminal damage, and unlawful assaults when the latest offences allegedly occurred.

The most serious offending involved allegedly jumping out at passing cars and throwing full bottles of liquid at windscreens, which caused one car to swerve off the road.

The latest offences, from late October to mid-November, range from destroying property and threatening staff at a residential care facility, including damaging two work vehicles, to racially abusing passers-by at a Ballarat shopping centre.

It was noted the child had failed to appear for curfew checks or run away from the centre dozens of times, including one time where he was missing for two weeks.

The child was described as a "complex case", with severe difficulties - teams of case workers from Berry Street, Child Protection, and Youth Justice were called as witnesses to explain why the child should be granted bail again.

The police informant stated existing measures to help the child were not enough, and after once alleged incident, staff at the residential care facility did not make a full report to police with the child present for fear of retribution.

Witnesses for the defence explained that if bailed, stronger programs and extra staff will be available to manage the child's case - the police prosecution maintained that there were no bail conditions that could control the child's behaviour, given he had already shown no care for the bail he was already under.

The magistrate decided to grant bail with stronger conditions, including banning attending the shopping centre without supervision.

"I'm going to give you an opportunity," she told the child.

"All of these things have to stop or you'll end up in this place you don't like."

The child will return to court on December 18.

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